Gartner Group recently downgraded the seriousness of the Y2K problem. Is anyone (including you, Yardeni, etc.) publicly analyzing their position? I just get finished briefing the State on the seriousness (very balanced delivery of existing facts) of Y2K, when I get hit for not accurately presenting the more welcome news (Gartners). Left unchallenged, the Gartner report hinders our message of responsible action and concern.

-- Derek Scoble (derek@scoble.com), November 18, 1998

Answers

See the following threads related to Gartner Group:

"Preparation rhetoric and the Gartner Group"

"Article admits effort to control panic. Comments?"

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 18, 1998.

See also:

http://www. yourdon.com/articles/y2kcrystalball.html

-Arnie

-- Arnie Rimmer (arnie_rimmer@usa.net), November 18, 1998.

Arnie's got it right. The essay tells it like it is.

Ed starts out with

I don't know. Neither do you. Neither does anyone else.

In the fable of the ant and the grasshopper, the ant had a tactical advantage: knowing that the winter was coming. We don't have that much. All we can tell the "grasshoppers" is that the weather is likely to be changeable. Maybe a summer shower, maybe a new glaciation. Not an easy sell.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), November 18, 1998.

Derek,

Here's a link to a newspaper article about that GartnerGroup report.

http://www.wichitaeagle.com/technology/docs/y2kchill1116.htm

What's different about this GartnerGroup report is that it was written for the public. It wasn't written for business and government clients like all the rest of their reports are.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), November 18, 1998.